Prewrapped carton



Sept- 26, 1967 J. D. DEsMoND ETAL 3,343,750

PRENRAPPED CARTON Ffiled April 25, 1966 f 5 www 0d. @www mkh/W f n@ M@ United States Patent O 3,343,750 PREWRAPPED CARTON .lohn D. Desmond and Joseph I. Hart, Philadelphia, Pa., assignors to Container Corporation of America, Chicago, lll., a corporation of Delaware Filed Apr. 25, 1966, Ser. No. 544,728 2 Claims. (Cl. 229-87) This invention relates to a carton of the type commonly including a tubular body having end closure aps hinged to one end of the tubular body, and a decorative sheet oveiwrapping the tubular body and end closure iiaps in a manner to give the set up and closed carton the appearance of a hand-Wrapped item. More particularly, this invention relates to improved means for securing the overw-rapped decorative sheet to the body in the area of the closure aps to permit reliable closing of -the end aps using automatic equipment without damaging the sheet.

Prewrapped cartons are quite popular in the merchandising certain products, particularly liquor. The prewrapped carton commonly includes an inner tubular body formed from a blank of conventional foldable paperboard, and a sheet of film, paper or other decorative material overwrapping the exterior of the paperboard body. The tubular body has a conventional lapped manufacturers joint along the marginal edges of the paperboard blank, and the sheet overwrap is disposed between and secured to this joint and overlaps and is secured to the carton closure ilaps.

To give a hand-wrapped appearance -to the carton, the outer closure flaps are commonly triangular and present their apexes at the center of the end wall. The inner closure flaps are rectangular and of full carton width, and are infolded lirst by folding the outer triangular closure ilaps outwardly some 70 to 80, whereupon the outer triangular flaps are infolded -to close the carton end Wall. The sheet overwrap in the area between the closure flaps adjacent the manufacturers joint of the tubular body commonly is pulled from the paperboard blank during this iiap folding, particularly when using automatic high speed equipment.

Accordingly, an object of this invention is to provide an improved arrangement between the end closure aps and sheet overwrap on a prewrapped carton of this style.

A more detailed object of this invention is to provide in the area of the manufacturers joint an extension of the inner glue panel of the rnanufacturers joint beyond the end edge of the tubular body suitable for confining with the related end closure tiap the marginal edges of the overwrap sheet to reinforce the -bond between the paperboard and overwrap sheet.

These and other objects of this invention will be more fully understood and appreciated after reviewing the following specilication, which includes the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. l is a perspective View of a typical carton for which this invention forms an improvement, the carton being shown in the closed position;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the carton of FIG. 1, except showing it opened;

FIG. 3 is a perspective View of the carton of FIGS. 1 and 2, except showing it with the end aps in a partially closed position;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view as seen generally from line 4`4 in FIG. l; and

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of a por-tion of a blank and overwrap suitable for forming the carton disclosed in FIGS. 1-4.

The carton includes interconnected side wall panels 11, 12, 13, and 14, which together form a tubular body that can be closed by end closure aps 15, 16, 17, and 18 ICC hinged to the end of the tubular body. In the embodiment shown, flaps 15 and 17 are rectangular and overlap approximately half way across the width of the tubular body and flaps 16 and 18 are triangular and have their apexes meeting roughly at the center of the end wall.

The closure iiaps 15-18 are adapted to be infolded across the tubular body, rectangular aps 15 and 17 underlying the outer triangular aps 16 and 18. To accomplish this, the triangular flaps are initially folded outwardly approximately or 80 to cause the sheet overwrap to draw the rectangular aps 15 and 17 inwardly across the end of the tubular body; whereupon the triangular aps are then backfolded inwardly to overlie the rectangular aps. The overlapping closure flaps present triangular coniigurations which meet at the center of the end wall -to give the appearance of a hand-wrapped carton. To add rigidity to the carton, flap 15 extends almost completely across the carton to rest on the top of the bottle carried in the carton, and can if desired, be adhesively secured to the overlapping flap 17.

The tubular carton body is defined from the at paperboard blank in the usual manner by means of a glue flap 24, hinged to the side wall panel 14 at one of the blank, underlying and being adhesively secured relative to the side Wall panel 11 at the opposite end of the blank. The blank layout is shown in FIG. 5.

A sheet 30 of paper, film or the like, overwraps the exterior of the carton. The sheet is secured to the carton blank at the glue iiap 24 along seam 32 and to the opposite side wall panel 11 on the underside of the panel along seam 35 as is shown in partial view in FIG. 5. The sheet overwrap 30 extends beyond the end of the tubular body and overlaps the closure liaps 15-18 to approximately onehalf the Width of the carton. The sheet overwrap 30 is adhesively secured to these closure flaps 15-18, so that infolding of the closure tlaps simultaneously infolds the sheet overwrap.

The subject improvement includes providing a glue liap 40 as a continuation of the glue panel 24 beyond the end edge of the tubular body. The extended glue flap 40 thereby is adapted to underlie and be adhesively secured relative to the closure iiap 15. The opposite marginal edges of the sheet overwrap are thus interposed between and conined by the glue flap extension 40 and the top closure llap 15. This secures the overwrap rmly to the top closure iiap 15 at the corner of the car-ton, to the extent even that it is possible to use an automatic closing or folding equipment to fold and close the aps inwardly without separating the sheet overwrap from the closure flap 15. The subject improvement does not require additional material, increase the manufacturing cost of the carton appreciably, or add unnecessary bulging or -bulk to the end wall.

What is claimed is:

1. A prewrapped carton, comprising:

(a) a unitary blank of paperboard having side wall panels hinged to one another at their adjacent side edges and having a glue panel hinged to a rst of these side Wall panels at one end of the blank and adapted t0 underlie and be adhesively secured relative to a second of these side Wall panels at the opposite end of the blank to form thereby a tubular body open at one end;

(b) end closure means for said one tubular body end including a first ap hinged to `an end edge of the rst side Wall panel and a second flap hinged to an end edge of the second side wall panel, the aps being adapted to be folded across the one end of the tubular body for closing the same;

(c) said first ap, when the flaps are open, having its side edge adjacent the secnnd flap free from connection with and diverging away from the second ap in the direction away from said tubular body, and said second flap, when open having its side edge adjacent the irst llap disposed as a linear extension side wall panel and a second flap hinged to an end edge of the second side wall panel, the flaps being adapted to be folded across the one end of the tubular body for closing the same;

of the corner of the tubular body between the iirst 5 and second side wall panels;

(d) a glue flap extending as a linear continuation of the glue panel beyond the end of the tubular-body, said glue iiap being separated from and free from connection with the rst liap and being adapted to 10 underlie and -be in secured relationship relative to the second ap;

(e) a sheet overwrap of paper, lrn, or the like, encircling the exterior of the tubular body and overlying the end closure aps and having marginal end l5 portions interposed between and held in secured relationship relative to the glue and second side Wall (c) when the aps are open, said rst ap having its side edge adjacent the second flap free from connection with and diverging away from the second flap in the direction away from said tubular body;

(d) a glue flap extending as a continuation of the glue panel beyond the end of the tubular tbody, said glue flap being separated from and free from connection with the iirst llap and being adapted to underlie and be in secured relationship relative to the second ilap;

(e) a sheet overwrap of paper, film, or the like overlying the end closure aps and having marginal end portions interposed between and held in secured relationship relative to the glue and second closure panels and the glue and second closure flaps, whereby flaps.

the sheet overwraps is supported in the area of the References Cited closure ilaps along the continuation oi said corner 20 UNITED STATES PATENTS when the tlaps are open by the glue aps and is upon outward folding of the first closure flap in- 681,322 8/1901 Houghland r- 229-37 these side wall panels and adapted to underlie and 3,257,068 6/1966 Wright 229 S7 be adhesively secured relative to a second of these 30 side Wall panels to form thereby a tubular body open at one end;

(b) closure means for said one tubular body end including a lirst ap hinged to an end edge of the rst JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner.

D. T. MOORHEAD, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A PREWRAPPED CARTON, COMPRISING: (A) A UNITARY BLANK OF PAPERBOARD HAVING SIDE WALL PANELS HINGED TO ONE ANOTHER AT THEIR ADJACENT SIDE EDGES AND HAVING A GLUE PANEL HINGED TO A FIRST OF THESE SIDE WALL PANELS AT ONE END OF THE BLANK AND ADAPTED TO UNDERLIE AND BE ADHESIVELY SECURED RELATIVE TO A SECOND OF THESE SIDE WALL PANELS AT THE OPPOSITE END OF THE BLANK TO FORM THEREBY A TUBULAR BODY OPEN AT ONE END; (B) END CLOSURE MEANS FRO SAID ONE TUBULAR BODY END INCLUDING A FIRST FLAP HINGED TO AN END EDGE OF THE FIRST SIDE WALL PANEL AND A SECOND FLAP HINGED TO AN END EDGE OF THE SECOND SIDE WALL PANEL, THE FLAPS BEING ADAPTED TO BE FOLDED ACROSS THE ONE END OF THE TUBULAR BODY FOR CLOSING THE SAME; (C) SAID FIRST FLAP WHEN THE FLAPS ARE OPEN, HAVING ITS SIDE EDGE ADJACENT THE SECOND FLAP FREE FROM CONNECTION WITH AND DIVERGING AWAY FROM THE SECOND FLAP IN THE DIRECTION AWAY FROM SAID TUBULAR BODY, AND SAID SECOND FLAP, WHEN OPEN HAVING ITS SIDE EDGE ADJACENT THE FIRST FLAP DISPOSED AS A LINEAR EXTENSION OF THE CORNER OF THE TUBULAR BODY BETWEEN THE FIRST AND SECOND SIDE WALL PANELS; (D) A GLUE FLAP EXTENDING AS A LINEAR CONTINUATION OF THE GLUE PANEL BEYOND THE END OF THE TUBULAR-BODY, SAID GLUE FLAP BEING SEPARATED FROM AND FREE FROM CONNECTION WITH THE FIRST FALP AND BEING ADAPTED TO UNDERLIE AND BE IN SECURED RELATIONSHIP RELATIVE TO THE SECOND FLAP; (E) A SHEET OVERWRAP OF PAPER, FILM, OR THE LIKE, ENCIRCLING THE EXTERIOR OF THE TUBULAR BODY AND OVERLYING THE END CLOSURE FLAPS AND HAVING MARGINAL END PORTIONS INTERPOSED BETWEEN AND HELD IN SECURED RELATIONSHIP RELATIVE TO THE GLUE AND SECOND SIDE WALL PANELS AND THE GLUE AND SECOND CLOSURE FLAPS, WHEREBY THE SHEET OVERWRAPS IS SUPPORTED IN THE AREA OF THE CLOSURE FLAPS ALONG THE CONTINUATION OF SAID CORNRE WHEN THE FLAPS ARE OPEN BY THE GLUE FLAPS AND IS THEREBY HELD FIRMLY TO THE SECOND CLOSURE FLAP EVEN UPON OUTWARD FOLDING OF THE FIRST CLOSURE FLAP INCIDENT TO THE CLOSING OF THE FLAPS. 